To my Lord, the most holy and blessed brother and co-minister, Hormisdas, Epiphanius, Bishop, sends greetings in the Lord.

We also, along with our most pious and Christian emperor and his most faithful and virtuous wife, have shown great zeal for the proper and pure union of the holy Churches. And, with the love of God which was fitting for us, we received the holy bishops and venerable clerics whom you sent, treating them with reverence. We believe that your blessedness has already been satisfied by these actions, yet we think that if the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, our God, has presented these most revered co-ministers safely before your eyes, everything that has been raised should now be made known to your holiness, and the labor we have borne will become clearer through them.

By the grace of God and the support of our most faithful rulers, the Church of Constantinople has been peacefully governed. The names of those whom we know to be profane to your See have not been recited in the sacred mysteries, but the agreement of the four councils on the true faith is proclaimed, as is made evident by the recitation in all the sacred diptychs. Therefore, let it be announced to you that there are many priests under our jurisdiction, and also many people under the administration of their bishops, who embrace the good of this union that has begun. May your holiness also recognize yourself as the leader and initiator of this general good.

Thus, your blessedness should be encouraged with the stimulus of praise to continue your vigilance, lest what divine mercy began in your honor might not reach the full and appropriate unity that is fitting. Moreover, our most faithful and pious rulers, rejoicing in the unity and harmony of the holy Churches of God, have directed requests to your blessedness from many holy priests, both from the provinces of Pontus and Asia, and especially from the East, where it seems difficult and even impossible to silence the names of their former bishops. They are so determined that they are all prepared to face danger for this cause.

Therefore, considering all previous causes necessary for the pursuit of peace, since we find common union and salvation for all only through this path of humility, we ask that you, as stated, deal with this matter with the peaceful governance that befits you. For while the two churches are one, without a doubt, the good that arises from vigilance brings glory to both patriarchal sees, so that Christ, our true God, the Lord and Creator of all, may be magnified. Of all these matters, the most holy bishop John, who has shared many labors with us in the present struggle, the most reverend priest Heraclianus of our great church, our cohabitant, and the most reverend deacon Constantine of the same great church, will entreat you with the utmost affection, having sent to you our synodal letters according to the ecclesiastical laws of your blessedness.

Now, our most pious emperor, showing his zeal for the unity of the holy Churches, has sent letters to your blessedness concerning these causes and has forwarded petitions submitted to him by the people of Jerusalem and the Easterners. Thus, seeking an opportunity for salutation, we have written this letter to you, through which we pray, presenting to your holiness this divine word: “Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). The Lord of all has entrusted us with a talent that can be returned with the fruits of good work, and so, through your praiseworthy dispensation, may such holy Churches, their priests, and an innumerable multitude be saved—now united with the holy Church, though at risk and wandering, if your blessed guidance reminds them, especially those who dwell in the holy places of Christ our God, adhering everywhere to the holy churches so that their multitude should not be rejected.

For all of them, by their own suggestion, remain so obstinate in their evil that they would rather leave this life than abandon their chosen course. Thus, if God orders that they be united through your blessedness, the merit of your praise will be ascribed to both the present and future times. May your holiness therefore pray for our most pious and Christian rulers, for our lowliness, and for the universal union, so that by the grace of the Holy and Consubstantial Trinity and the intercessions of our Lady, the holy and glorious Virgin Mary, Mother of God, all may come together in indivisible unity and the unshakable foundation of the Catholic faith may be confirmed through everything, most holy brother.

We have sent signs of our love in Christ our Lord to your administration of divine worship and the holy Apostolic Church: a chalice adorned with gems, a golden paten, another silver chalice, and two silk veils. We beg your blessedness to accept these with that love which we do not doubt you have according to God. All the fraternity in Christ that is with your holiness, we also greet most warmly. Received on the day before the Kalends of December, in the consulship of the illustrious Rusticus (year of our Lord 520).